The Black Swan Wears Blue
by iliasc
Summary: The first time Ty Lee saw her, she was dancing to a piano rendition of a pop song and her every pirouette made her look like a whirlwind of fire. Modern Ballet AU. Drabblefic. ::Tyzula::
1. Chapter 1

**::The Black Swan Wears Blue::**

* * *

 **::Variation 01: Blizzard::**

* * *

Ty Lee met Azula for the first time when they were snowed in inside the studio.

She was pacing and taking her light pink mittens off and on again and again nervously. It was once she gave up on going out into the blizzard that she heard vaguely familiar piano music. It wasn't anything classical; it was the opposite. Some piano rendition of a pop song that felt like a memory from a dream.

Quietly, Ty Lee crept towards the small room with nothing in it but a bent barre and unused piano with three broken keys. An outdated stereo was playing; the music was coming from it. Ty Lee peered in further and suddenly she heard feet against the floor.

"Can I help you?" coldly asked the prettiest voice Ty Lee had ever heard.

"Nope. No, I was just – the blizzard – and the song – and I'm sorry for disturbing you," Ty Lee squeaked, her eyes wide with terror. She backed away but a cold hand with fake nails grabbed her and tugged her inside. Ty Lee was either going to die or be kissed… or so she thought.

"You seem to be doing nothing with yourself and we're all stuck in here until the storm passes. Do my acquaintance's part," the girl said sharply. Ty Lee was agape and frozen. "Unless you can't dance. You can dance, can't you?"

"Yes," Ty Lee said a few moments too late. "Yes, I can dance."

She suddenly noted the word _acquaintance_. It was an odd way to describe a person, particularly by a girl who looked about her age.

"Just stand there for a moment," the girl ordered and Ty Lee nodded too many times.

Ty Lee started over the music with her cold, trembling hands and sat down on the inside of the snow-coated window. The girl began and time stood still. Her every pirouette looked like a whirlwind of fire, a blur of blue that made Ty Lee feel warm in this icy room.

"It was beautiful," Ty Lee said before realizing the girl was expecting her to have learned that. Well, fuck. "Can you… do it more slowly?"

The girl cocked an eyebrow. "Maybe."

"What's your name?" Ty Lee asked and the girl looked at her as if it were a ridiculous question.

"I'm Azula. I don't care who you are," she said and Ty Lee grimaced. Not the best introduction. "Now pay attention this time."

Ty Lee did. She memorized it within one more show and she spent her time waiting for the plows to come by helping Azula practice her beautiful dance. Ty Lee was _good_ ; she had been told she was for her entire life.

But Azula was a prodigy.

There was no other word for it.

Ty Lee bolted like an idiot the minute an assistant instructor called out that the parking lot was escapable now. She almost reached the frosted door before she saw the girl's reflection in it. Ty Lee's heart pounded with excitement before she turned around and saw she was just holding Ty Lee's bright pink, ruffled dance bag.

"You forgot this," Azula said and Ty Lee swallowed as she grabbed it.

"I'm Ty Lee. I know you don't care. But I'm Ty Lee."

Ty Lee resumed her horrified running until she reached her car.


	2. Chapter 2

**::Variation 02: Fever::**

* * *

Ty Lee met Azula for the second time when she was attempting to sew her costume.

She tore it during an aerial move or three and now she had to fix it before anyone noticed. It was not going as well as she had hoped, despite Katara trying her best to help.

"No, you really have to…" Katara did not know where to _begin_ with Ty Lee's stitches. "Uhh, can I just do it?"

Ty Lee was about to agree before she heard the voice downstairs. She stood up, the dress slipping from her lap – Katara thankfully caught it – and saw that girl, Azula, with Hakoda. Just her, and she was as stunning as before.

She was so talented, so pretty, so perfect. Ty Lee stared for too long before she realized what she was doing and quickly moved away from the edge of the balcony.

"I hate her," Katara hissed and Ty Lee looked at her with wide eyes.

"Why?" Ty Lee asked and Katara shrugged.

"She's mean and manipulative and awful. I heard she once put glass in someone's shoes."

"People make up that rumor about _anybody_ they don't like," Ty Lee protested and Katara shrugged.

"Yeah, but I'd believe it with her. She _connives_ as well as she dances," Katara explained and Ty Lee knelt down to peek between the glossy wooden bars of the balcony.

"She must be a really good conniver then," Ty Lee whispered. "She looks sick. Do you think she looks sick?"

Katara shrugged. "Maybe. Can you help me with the dress you ripped?"

Ty Lee got up and got to helping Katara, but not without listening to the pretty music and the pretty girl. She was finished with her dress and walking down the stairs when she heard the _thud_. Ty Lee turned into the room and saw Azula on the floor.

She _fainted_. Ty Lee ran inside with complete disregard for being uninvited. Hakoda was already looking at her and Katara, despite hating Azula, went to go find the first aid kit to help heal whatever was wrong with her.

"I told her she was sick and should stay home," said Hakoda before looking up at Ty Lee.

Ty Lee blushed. "I can help her. I can talk to her or something," she said, feeling foolish. She always thought he was so _attractive_.

"Yes, that might help," he replied and he picked her up with such ease.

Azula was lying on a couch when Ty Lee sat down across from her and wished she knew the words to say. She did not know if Azula would really like waking up to see her, but the doctors were not here yet, and she was sweating from a fever.

Ty Lee had ice in her hand and was touching it to the forehead of a girl she had only met once in her life. But she felt such a _strong_ connection to her that she could not resist. It was a pull like the ocean beneath the moon.

"What are you doing?" hoarsely whispered Azula and Ty Lee perked up.

"You passed out," Ty Lee explained.

Azula looked alarmed by that, her rare golden eyes flashing from fear. Ty Lee wondered what could possibly be scaring her so much, but her fear faded before Ty Lee could examine it.

"Oh," Azula said, sitting straight up. She seemed dizzy and her face flushed even hotter. But she still said, "I feel much better. I should keep practicing."

Ty Lee looked at her like she was crazy.

She stood up and grabbed the shoes Ty Lee had removed.

Yes, she was definitely crazy, Ty Lee decided. But that fact just made her more interesting and irresistible.


	3. Chapter 3

**::Variation 03: Hooks::**

* * *

"Help me with the fitting," asked Kanna and Ty Lee nodded once.

The older woman was making costumes and Ty Lee was helping her.

"Do you ever leave the studio?" asked Azula and Ty Lee jumped. She was not expecting that girl again.

"Do you?" Ty Lee asked innocently.

Azula's expression soured as she began to strip out of her street clothes. Ty Lee realized she was biting her lower lip and blushed bright red from embarrassment. She was beginning to realize that she might have a crush on this icy bitch. It was certainly not the best thing that had ever happened to Ty Lee.

"Could you clasp her into this?" Kanna demanded and Ty Lee realized she had spaced out for at least two whole minutes. Yikes.

"Uh-huh." Ty Lee nodded awkwardly, jumped up gracefully, and walked to stand behind Azula. She smelled like a strong perfume.

Ty Lee looked at the hooks in the back of the bodice and swallowed. Nothing had been this uncomfortable before for her. She usually had an easy time with social situations, with flirting, with all of that, but Azula just threw her off her game.

She reached and clasped the hooks over Azula's smooth but bony back.

And then she ran, because she did not want Kanna or Azula to see her flushed cheeks.


	4. Chapter 4

**::Variation 04: Bored::**

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"You can never get bored watching her," Ty Lee said as she stared at the dancer in a blur of blue from afar and Katara smirked. "What? What's that face? Tell me."

Katara tried not to laugh before looking up. "You sound like you're _in love_."

"I'm not in love. I've barely even talked to her," Ty Lee replied harshly and Katara shrugs. "She probably isn't into girls anyway."

"Maybe she likes anything with a pulse like you."

Ty Lee corrected vivaciously, "I don't like anything with a pulse. My sexuality is people who want to have sex with me."

"Which is anything with a pulse." Those words felt icky, but Katara had been sitting around the studio waiting for her dad to be done all day. She was bored, tired and frazzled from helping with costumes. Honestly, Sokka could learn how to sew and help out instead of pretending to be doing his homework. "She has a girlfriend, actually."

"Do you know her?"

"Azula or her girlfriend?"

"Her girlfriend, obviously."

"Yeah. Her name's Jin and she's really sweet. Way too sweet to be dating such a domineering bitch."

"Isn't she the waitress at that coffee shop?"

"Mhm. Azula's uncle owns it."

Ty Lee suddenly was not bored anymore. "Tell me everything you know about her," she begged.


End file.
